This invention relates to food processors, and more particularly to such apparatus having a chute and an inclined ramp which is mounted beneath the food processing tool on a downward slope toward the chute, whereby processed food deposited on the ramp slides down the ramp for discharge through the chute into a large nearby container, thereby increasing the food handling capabilities and capacity of the food processor. The chute includes an openable lid coupled to an electric motor drive control for facilitating the cleaning of the ramp and chute without removing the cover but at the same time protecting the user.
The present invention is applicable to food processors of the type having a working bowl with motor-driven tool drive means in the bowl with which various selected rotary food processing tools can be engaged to be driven for performing various food processing operations in accordance with the desires of the user. A removable cover is secured over the top of the bowl during use. A feed tube having a feed passageway opens downwardly into the bowl, and food items to be processed are placed in the feed tube and then are pushed down through the feed tube into the bowl by means of a removable food pusher which is adapted to slide down in the manner of a plunger through a feed tube. The food items are sliced or otherwise processed by the rotating food processing tool in the top of the bowl and are deposited and retained in the bowl.
The food processor has proved very successful in providing quick effective aid in preparing food, including slicing, shredding, grating, kneading, cutting, chopping, mixing, making French fry slices or Julienne strips, dicing, pureeing, etc. in extremely short time intervals. One of the few limitations of the food processor is that of capacity, which is limited by the size of the bowl of the particular model. Due to the operating arrangement of the food processor in which motor-driven tool drive means projects upwardly in the bowl on which various processing tools are mounted, there are of necessity certain limitations on size and capacity of the bowl. Accordingly, when a very large quantity of a food item is being processed, the bowl becomes full; the cover and tool must be removed, the bowl removed and then emptied; the bowl, tool and cover are replaced, and the processing resumed. If, for example, it is desired to make a cole slaw for 100 people, the continued acts of removing and emptying the bowl and remounting the bowl, tool and cover become repititious and time-consuming.